There are even grounds for thinking that OUR VIC might not have quite run up to his best despite his success. For after leading to 3 out he was readily left behind by the eventual runner-up going to the next fence and looked booked for second - a performance which would have borne out past suspicions that his optimum distance is short of 3m. But he was thrown a lifeline by that rival’s mistake and kept on to get up again in the final stride. Gauging the exact merit of this performance is decidedly tricky but it does confirm that the blinkers, fitted when he won the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham the previous month, have revitalised the 10-year-old, who had run moderately in two previous tilts at this race. The Ryanair would again appear a more obvious target than the Gold Cup next season but he did little to strike fear into the hearts of Denman or Master Minded here.
Kauto Star came into the race under a slight cloud after his defeat in the Gold Cup, for though his conqueror Denman is clearly top-notch he did not seem quite at his best. His effort was marred by minor jumping errors but he was much better in that regard here, which makes it all the more ironic that he should be undone by a major one. Having tracked the leader for much of the way he moved to the front 3 out and soon went six lengths clear, looking all over the winner and traded at 1-14 on Betfair, only to stand off much too far 2 out and plough through the fence. That took a lot of momentum out of him and though he was still a length and a half up at the last he could not hold off the runner-up on the flat and succumbed in the final stride. He has been prone to jumping errors in the past but this was the first time a mistake had cost him a race since he fellin the 2006 Champion Chase - delaying his challenge longer might have helped him as there would probably have been no catching him had he jumped to the front at the last. But this may not be his ideal track nowadays, given that it puts the emphasis very much on speed.
Monet’s Garden had won the 2m4f Melling Chase here in 2007 and also beaten Kauto Star over the same course and distance last autumn but it was not the extra distance that cost him this race - he lost touch with the principals before stamina became an issue and simply did not run very well. Gungadu does not have the ability of the best in this field but this was still a modest effort, outpaced when blundering 6 out and ultimately soundly beaten. [DC]
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